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Malcolm’s book, “Future Sense: Five Explorations of Whole Intelligence of World That’s Waking Up” argues the case for promoting greater ‘whole intelligence’ in both public and personal domains, and the need to devise a new educational agenda based on Gestalt principles – ‘an activism of being alive’, a logical extension of Gestalt field theory, and integrating the personal, political and spiritual.

The Gathering in June, for which there are still places available, will take the form of a shared residential weekend in a country house setting for Gestalt practitioners, with time for reflection, critical analysis, and discussion of “Future Sense”, along with some in-depth experiencing of the five explorations featured in the book. The structure will be adjustable in the light of emerging interests, needs, and themes of those taking part in the Gathering.

Reading “Future Sense” in advance is advised (www.fiveexplorations.com). The inclusive fee for the weekend is £255 for shared accommodation. Some reduced fee places are available on application. Contact Hilary Hosier at hilarychip@gmail.com for more details.

In this year’s lecture Belinda will identify how personal experiences of fear, love and learning have informed her understanding of how they are intertwined, and how they are mediated by power relations. Drawing on her experience as a secondary school teacher, psychotherapist, supervisor, trainer and academic, she will argue that awareness and understanding of power dynamics is essential for educators, just as much as for psychotherapists. She will examine the human cost of focussing on outcomes and results without sufficient attention to intrapersonal, interpersonal and group processes and how systemic fear and the exercise of ‘power over’ directly affect the embodied experience of teaching and learning. Belinda will explore how ‘relational alchemy’ is necessary and how human growth is based on the exercise of ‘power-with’ and ‘power-for’.

Belinda will argue that counsellors and psychotherapists can have a significant role in helping to develop robust, relationally attuned learning communities. They can support educators and others to gain deeper awareness and understanding of power relations.

After lunch Belinda will facilitate a multi-sensory experiential session to support participants’ own growth and learning in relation to fear, power and love.

Belinda is an educator and academic, UKCP Registered Gestalt Psychotherapist and ICF Registered Gestalt coach, Associate Professor in the School of Education at Nottingham University, and Professional Associate of the Gestalt International Center on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. She received the Lord Dearing Award for Teaching Excellence in 2000.

Cost: £78 full; £66 earlybird by 30th June; £50 students and concessions
Bookings will open soon. For full details and to book a place, go to the website at mariannefrylectures.co.uk

Friday 1st – Sunday 3rd July, Nottingham

The GPTI conference 2016 will explore how the practice and theory of Gestalt Psychotherapy, such as the notion of final contact, relates to our experience of Joy and Satisfaction; as clients and as therapists; as supervisors and supervisees; as trainers and trainees; and most especially as embodied relational beings in our world.

David Whyte’s description of Joy echoes some of PHG’s description of final contact.

“Joy is a meeting place of deep intentionality and of self-forgetting, the body alchemy of what lies inside us in communion with what formerly seemed outside, but is now neither, but become a living frontier, a voice speaking between us and the world; dance, laughter, affection, skin touching skin, singing.. music.. the sheer intoxicating beauty of the world inhabited as an edge between what we previously thought was us and what we thought was other than us.” Consolations (2015) p.127.

We invite you to join with us in exploring our understanding and experiences of Joy and Satisfaction in the most embodied vivid ways that we can create together.

Keynote speech by Kirsteen Greenholm

How our motivation for becoming a therapist influences satisfaction and joy (Katy Wakelin)

Travelling without a destination – Implications for psychotherapy (Ian Greenway)

Embodied joy of contact – assimilation and mastering in our childhood and lifelong

Martin Pollecoff, the new UKCP chair, will be attending the conference on Saturday and a Q&A session with him is planned. If you would like to submit a question in advance, please email admin@gpti.org.uk or just come along and ask on the day.

To book on the conference please download and complete the booking form.

This monthly closed group of up to six members will provide a supportive space in which to reflect on and explore some of the themes and concerns which therapists share. Combining elements of personal development, supervision and training, the group offers a flexible response to emerging needs.

We will meet on Friday mornings, 10.00-12.30, in Wantage, Oxfordshire. The group will count for two and a half hours CPD a month.

Participants will be expected to commit to all the above dates, and to pay in full regardless of attendance.

Miriam Taylor is a UKCP registered Gestalt psychotherapist, supervisor and international trainer who has been in private practice since 1995. Her background was in adult education before training as a counsellor and psychotherapist. Working as clinical lead of a young peoples’ service pointed her towards specialising in trauma, and for several years she worked in a specialist trauma service.

Miriam’s particular interest is in the relational integration of trauma and the role of the body. She teaches in the UK and internationally, is an Academic Consultant and examiner for Metanoia Institute, London, and an Associate of Relational Change. Her book ‘Trauma Therapy and Clinical Practice’ was published in 2014.

For further information and to book a place, please contact Miriam on 07852 761588 or here-now@ntay.com Book soon – this group is likely to fill fast!

This two-day workshop provides an opportunity for trauma-focused group supervision for each of 12 participants. Reflective spaces will be woven through the two days, alternating with short taught and experiential slots.

The embodied presence of the therapist, in awareness of their own history and responses to trauma, will be considered as a key to facilitating growth. Sander’s concept of Fields of Mutual Influence forms a theoretical underpinning, together with applications of neuroscience and trauma theory.

Fee: £195 early bird, before 15th July; thereafter £220, to include lunches.

The facilitator: Miriam Taylor is a UKCP registered Gestalt psychotherapist, supervisor and international trainer who has been in private practice since 1995. Her background was in adult education before training as a counsellor and psychotherapist. Working as clinical lead of a young peoples’ service pointed her towards specialising in trauma, and for several years she worked in a specialist trauma service. Miriam’s particular interest is in the relational integration of trauma and the role of the body. She teaches in the UK and internationally, is an Academic Consultant and examiner for Metanoia Institute, London, and an Associate of Relational Change.

This group is designed to be of use to counsellors/psychotherapists who have an interest in exploring their use of the energetic body and developing this aspect of the field. It will be organised around meditative presence, with group discussion and individual presentation of existing client work. It will include managing the boundary/relationship between the counsellor’s intuitive knowledge and the client’s self knowledge. The agenda will be formed by the needs and interests of the participants within the framework of a safe ethical space.

I have been a practicing Gestalt psychotherapist for over 25 years and have worked as a GPTI trainer and supervisor for 18 years. For the last 4 years I have also practiced as a healer. I have a deep interest in the mind/body/soul connection.

The group will start 15th Sept 2016 and run monthly.

Venue: At Clearly Destiny, 12 Woburn Walk, London WC1H 0JL

Time: 5.30 – 7pm

Cost: £40 per session

The time may extend depending on numbers of participants and the cost may reduce.

In this workshop we will begin to address the barriers which many therapists have about speaking sexually with clients. This difficulty reflects a cultural norm present in many psychotherapy organisations and trainings. Much of our work will be exploring the interrelationship between lust and love (Resnick, S. 2012). Careful attention will be paid to the personal and relational implications of our exploration, which will be mostly experiential with some educational componants.

We will consider the challenges associated with sexual feelings within the therapeutic relationship, and managing the relevant relational and ethical implications. From a field perspective, the opportunity to consider the cultural influences of religion on sexual attitudes will link to an exploration of the collective shadow of male and female sexuality.

This workshop is open to gestalt therapists and trainees.

Location: Edinburgh Gestalt Institute.

Dates: 7-8 May 2016.

Time: 9:30am-5pm.

Cost: £225 including a non-refundable deposit of £95.

Carole AshtonMA Gestalt Psychotherapy, Dip Gestalt Psychotherapy training, Cert. Supervision, Dip Psychosexual Therapy, Cert. Couple and Marital therapy, Dip and ATSM GPTI, UKCP reg.Now a Gestalt psychotherapist, she originally trained as a nurse and midwife and has been working in private practice in Yorkshire since 1998 offering therapy to individuals, groups and couples and supervision to organisations, groups and individual practitioners. She is currently a primary tutor in the Gestalt Department at Metanoia Institute, London.Carole has a specific interest in working with groups and over the years has facilitated therapy, supervision, continuing professional development and cancer care groups

To book a place on this workshop or if you would like further information, please contact EGI on our website www.egi.uk.com. Alternatively call us on 0131 228 3841.

‘When we trust that we are the ocean, we are not afraid of the waves.’ – Tara Brach

Experiencing power as flowing from and through relational connection can enhance our vitality, confidence, humility, authenticity and effectiveness. It can facilitate a deeper respect for others and for co-created emergent change. With an integrated embodied awareness of power dynamics in the therapeutic relationship, we can work more potently, respectfully and ethically. This workshop will support therapists to bring power processes further into their awareness. We will explore how therapist and client experiences of power are mutually influenced through co-transference, societal/cultural influences and the therapeutic task/contact. This mainly experiential workshop is suitable for therapists and trainees from all modalities.

Location: Edinburgh Gestalt Institute.

Dates: 27-28 August 2016.

Time: 9:30am-5pm.

Cost: £225 including a non-refundable deposit of £95.

Kirsteen Greenholmhas a background as a practitioner and manager in the addictions and mental health fields, in both the voluntary and statutory sectors. She trained in gestalt psychotherapy at Edinburgh Gestalt Institute and now works in private practice as a psychotherapist, supervisor, trainer and consultant. Her first degree is in English literature and philosophy, and she weaves her interest in metaphor and images into her work and everyday life. Connecting with nature and attending to body process are particularly important to her.

To book a place on this workshop or if you would like further information, please contact EGI on our website www.egi.uk.com. Alternatively call us on 0131 228 3841.